The Birmingham Business School at the University of Birmingham is celebrating after attaining the Small Business Charter silver Award – in recognition of the role it has played in helping to kick-start British enterprise.

The University of Birmingham has made an impressive 15 place rise to 62nd in this year's QS World University Rankings, cementing its position in the top 100 universities globally and placing it 10th in the UK.

The University of Birmingham has won the Outstanding International Strategy Award in the 2014 Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards (THELMAs). The award honours Birmingham's bold approach to secure its position in Brazil as the UK higher education institute (HEI) partner of choice.

Written by Professor Scott Lucas. February 2015 has already seen some major developments in Syria's four-year conflict. At the start of February, rebels launched more than 100 rockets into Damascus and the Assad regime fired mortars on areas of its own capital, hoping to discredit the insurgents. At least six people were killed in the attacks.